All the off-season moves in the BFNL

A two-time BFNL star has sensationally quit the league and reportedly signed with a regional Victorian club. See all the ins and outs so far.

St Mary’s premiership player Damian McMahon is on the move to Barwon Heads. Picture: Mark Wilson

Two-time Torquay premiership player Baxter Mensch has left the club just two months after the Tigers’ smashing of Anglesea in a BFNL grand final.

On social media on Sunday, Robinvale Euston Football Club announced Mensch had joined the Sunraysia Football League outfit for the 2025 season.

Mensch, who starred in the past two Bellarine premierships with the Tigers, has recently returned to the NTFL to again play with the Darwin Buffaloes.

Baxter Mensch looks to handball against the Tiwi Bombers in Round 4 of the 2024-25 NTFL season. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Mensch previously played with Palmerston in the same league in 2022-23 when Eddie Betts turned out with the Magpies.

The young left footer averaged more than 30 touches and six inside 50s a game with the Tigers according to Premier Data in 2024, placing him in the league’s top five for both categories.

The club said it was thrilled to secure the signature of an “absolute contest beast”.

“His damaging left foot will be a great addition to our club,” it said.

EARLIER

After a disappointing 2024 which saw Barwon Heads miss the finals, the Seagulls have enjoyed a much stronger off-season so far.

Part of a wealth of off-season moves, St Mary’s premiership star Damian McMahon is heading to Howard Harmer Oval for next year.

In fact the Seagulls have added nine names to its list including Newtown & Chilwell’s Flynn Young and Zach Walter.

Meanwhile, two premiership players will also rejoin Heads next year.

See all the ins and outs from the BFNL off-season

Torquay

OUTS:

Baxter Mensch (Robinvale Euston), Harry McLeod (study)

Anglesea

INS:

Ryan Baker (Gisborne), Ayden Gras (St Joseph’s), Tevan Nofi (Leopold), Harrison Ling (St Mary’s).

OUTS:

Liam Holland, Jarod Bacon (Inverleigh), Maxwell Simpson.

Leopold’s Tevan Nofi has joined Anglesea for the 2025 season. Picture: Mark Wilson

Modewarre

INS: Ollie Butler, Elijah Satala, Oscar Hocking, Damon Hemphill.

Drysdale

INS:

James Robbins (Ocean Grove), Mitch Clark (Otway Districts), Jackson Paatsch (Otway Districts), Lauchlan Dalgleish, Lachlan Nelis (Leopold).

Former Modewarre player Jackson Paatsch has joined Drysdale. Picture: Mike Dugdale

Geelong Amateur

INS:

Sam Lloyd (new senior co-coach), Dan Weigl, Mitch Day, Joe Maishman (St Mary’s).

Barwon Heads

INS:

Damian McMahon (St Mary’s), Flynn Young (Newtown & Chilwell, Werribee), Noah Young, Zach Walter (Newtown & Chilwell), Ryan and Brad Harvey, Xavier Whitcher (Geelong Amateur), Sonni Walter, Cameron O’Leary, Darcy Griffin (Maribyrnong Park), Jake Whybrow (Altona), Ethan Lawler (Sebastopol), Sam Hill (Talbot).

Flynn Young celebrates a goal for Werribee in the VFL grand final. Picture: Michael Klein

OUTS:

Charlie Perks, Ryley Stuldreier.

Queenscliff

INS:

Izaac Grant (Hepburn)

Ocean Grove

INS:

Joe McDonald (Newtown & Chilwell), Rhys Devlin (Newtown & Chilwell), Taj Wyburd (Peel Thunder), Adam Walsh (Winchelsea).

Joe McDonald will return to Ocean Grove in 2025.

Portarlington

INS:

Darren Findlay (new senior coach), Tom Panuccio (Swan Districts), Scott Greenhough (Deer Park), Nick Lane, Mitch Howard, Riley Hayden.

Darren Findlay will coach Portarlington in 2025.. Picture: Local Legends Photography

Newcomb

INS:

Dion Johnstone (St Mary’s), Judd Smith (St Mary’s), Caleb Morissy (Leopold).

St Mary’s player Dion Johnstone has joined Newcomb. Picture: Mark Wilson

Originally published as All the off-season moves in the BFNL